Edgar Barrientos-Quintana

On November 6, 2024, Edgar Barrientos-Quintana was exonerated and released from prison after spending nearly 16 years behind bars for a crime that he did not commit.

Nearly 11 years ago, the Great North Innocence Project began investigating Edgar’s conviction and later represented Edgar in his application to the Minnesota Conviction Review Unit (CRU), a division of the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office. The CRU then completed its own 2-year independent investigation. Both entities discovered problematic, troubling findings, and ultimately concluded Edgar was innocent.

The Crime

Edgar was sentenced to life without parole in May 2009 for a drive-by shooting in South Minneapolis that killed teenager Jesse Mickelson, an innocent bystander to the presumed gang-related violence. His conviction was largely based on testimony from juvenile eyewitnesses, and a juvenile who was a supposed accomplice to the shooting. No physical evidence ever linked Edgar to the crime and the murder weapon was never recovered.

A Flawed and Troubling Investigation

The Great North Innocence Project (with significant pro bono contributions for over a decade by Marnie Fearon of formerly of Felhaber Larson) began investigating Edgar’s case in 2013, but faced numerous procedural hurdles. The team ultimately decided to bring his case to the Minnesota Conviction Review Unit (CRU) a division of the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office.

GNIP and CRU investigations found that Edgar had a credible alibi for the time of the shooting. Although the crime occurred in South Minneapolis, Edgar was seen on surveillance video at a grocery store across town less than 33 minutes before the 911 call reporting the shooting. Phone records from Edgar’s phone also disproved the supposed-accomplice’s claim that Edgar contacted him by phone to coordinate the shooting.

Additionally, the CRU agreed with GNIP that investigators used highly problematic eyewitness identification procedures that went against established best practices. Similar to the case of Marvin Haynes, GNIP client who was exonerated in December 2023, investigators used an old photo of Edgar in photo lineups that more closely matched the eyewitnesses’ descriptions of the shooter. Among many errors, investigators also failed to utilize a double-blind procedure when administering lineups, despite it being Hennepin County policy at the time.

The CRU’s comprehensive review of the case file found that investigators used interrogation tactics that were suggestive, threatening, and coercive to juvenile witnesses. With access to the state’s file, the CRU was able to determine that the state either failed to provide, or did not provide in a timely fashion, exculpatory evidence to Edgar’s attorney before his trial as required by the United States and Minnesota Constitutions. Finally, GNIP and CRU investigations determined that Edgar’s defense counsel was ineffective on numerous fronts, including their failure to present exculpatory evidence and to challenge the investigators’ and eyewitnesses’ testimony during trial. In sum, the jury did not receive all of the information related to witness descriptions of the shooter, the various impossible stories told by the alleged accomplice, or Edgar’s credible alibi.

Progress Toward Justice for Edgar

In July 2024, the CRU released the findings of its investigation. The report stated that the results of their investigation “convincingly establishes Barrientos’ innocence and that he was convicted of a crime that he did not commit.” Shortly thereafter, GNIP’s legal team filed a petition for post-conviction relief based on Edgar’s actual innocence.

In response, the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office filed a petition in support of post-conviction relief for Edgar. The filing stated that the office “can no longer stand behind the integrity of the convictions that resulted from the trial.”

The following November, Judge John McBride vacated Edgar’s conviction and the state filed to dismiss all charges, formally exonerating Edgar.

Upon learning of Edgar’s exoneration, his family shared, “As a family, we express our gratitude to God for granting Edgar’s freedom. He has missed out on so many precious moments, including watching his children grow up, attending graduations, birthdays, Thanksgiving, and Christmas celebrations with the family, and the loss of our beloved dad. He has a lot of ground to cover. Finally, my mom will be able to have her son back at the family dinners, and the place that has been vacant for so long will be filled with his laughter and presence once again. Edgar’s journey has been one of resilience, strength, and unwavering faith. Despite the challenges and obstacles that he has faced, he has never lost hope. His spirit is an inspiration to us all, a testament to the power of perseverance and the human capacity for endurance.”

What Now?

Edgar has reunited with his children, siblings, mother, and extended family. He is looking forward spending time with loved ones and rebuilding his life after wrongful incarceration. 

Edgar’s story is featured on the National Registry of Exonerations.

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